Race and Prosecution in Manhattan

Race is a factor in criminal case outcomes in Manhattan, according to this report from the Vera Institute of Justice.

Vera partnered with the District Attorney of New York on a two-year study examining racial and ethnic disparities in Manhattan criminal case outcomes. The study, which analyzed more than 200,000 cases, focused on the role of prosecutors, and whether prosecutorial discretion contributes to racially and ethnically disparate outcomes.

While the best predictors of case outcomes were factors that directly pertained to legal aspects of a case—including the seriousness of the charge, the defendant’s prior record, and the offense type—the research also found that race remained a factor in case outcomes.